Cullers, Ari Richard
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant Ari Richard Cullers, 28, of New London, Connecticut, was killed in a hostile incident in Ghariban, Afghanistan, on October 30, 2011.
Their Story
Ari Richard Cullers was a 28-year-old American soldier from New London, Connecticut. He served as a Staff Sergeant (SSG) with Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Drum, New York.
According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, SSG Cullers died on October 30, 2011, in Ghariban, Afghanistan. The official cause was listed as hostile action. Specific details of the engagement were not publicly released by the military, but the location in Ghazni province was an area of sustained insurgent activity.
Cullers's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the 9/11 attacks. The war involved coalition forces, the Afghan National Army, and insurgent groups, primarily the Taliban. By late 2011, U.S. troop levels were near their peak as part of a counterinsurgency strategy.
His death was reported by several Connecticut news outlets, which noted his local ties. The Army posthumously awarded him the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. He was survived by his wife and children.
SSG Ari Cullers is memorialized on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the Connecticut Veterans Memorial Park in Norwich. His name is among the 2,356 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Explore Further
SSG Ari Cullers was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001?2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
